Sunday Selections 504

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
  
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle.  

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 

I usually run with a theme.  I am reverting to type again this week and returning to Floriade Reimagined and the jungle at home.

Just after Floriade Reimagined I had an appointment with an exercise physiologist in a town centre near home.  I went in early hoping that the Floriade blooms hadn't been uprooted and given (as is the custom) to nursing homes and hospitals.  I got lucky.

I think it was a delightful addition to a part of town which is not usually to my taste.

And then to our gardenjungle.  Many years ago now a woman traveling on a bus with me told me 'you can keep a garden alive by watering it, but they need rain to grow'.  We have had more rain this spring than I have seen in many a year and the truth of what she told me is very evident.

And because I am obsessional, some photos of individual blooms which are delighting me.

I will try and be a bit more restrained next week.

Stay safe, stay well and I hope that you all find fun and colour this week.

Sunday Selections #503

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
  
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle.  

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
I usually run with a theme.

For the last few weeks I have been posting photos of Floriade, my cities celebration of Spring.  There are more photos to come but this week I am stepping outside my comfort zone.

Anne in the kitchen said that she was curious about other blogger's lives and asked us to post a childhood photo and the stories/memories associated with that photo.  I am seriously photo phobic.  I don't like looking at myself and try not to inflict perpetual memories of the horror on other people.

However, these photos are a very definite part of my past. 

 

I was noted for my curiosity even then - and it is still one of my defining characteristics.

That majestic dog is Harris.  I apparently learned to walk pulling myself up on his tail and staggering along behind him - and am told he just about crossed his legs trying hard not to pull me off my wobbly feet.  I teethed on his ears - and he merely looked aggrieved.

He did pay me back by draining my bottle every chance he got. I have what I think is a real memory (and probably my first) of sitting on the front steps hammering him with the empty bottle. And an empty plastic bottle wielded by a two year old didn't faze him at all.   I should add it was entirely fair that he stole my bottle.  I apparently often stole and gnawed on his dog biscuits.

Harris was a trained attack dog and my father gave exhibitions where Harris attacked heavily padded people on command.  My father used to finish those exhibitions by tossing Harris's lead to his toddler daughter for her to lead him out of the ring.  I assume I was fully dressed at the time.

The family friend who took these photos was well known to Harris.  However when he arrived unexpectedly one day and started to walk into the house (my parents were visiting the next door neighbour), Harris simply wouldn't let him.  He bailed him up at the door and barked loud and long.  Neither would he let him leave.  Fortunately the commotion brought my parents home.  As soon as they arrived and greeted the family friend Harris was fine.  Hackles down, and tail wagging he welcomed the friend into the house.

We always had animals when I was growing up, and Harris was a stand out example. I still have a huge soft spot for German Shepherds.

I will revert to more usual (for me) posts next week - and probably also return to my photo heavy posts.

I hope your week to come is barkingly good.

Acts of Kindness

 I think that most of us agreed that the world needs more, not less kindness.  A kind act, however small can (and does) make an incredible difference.

Years ago (over his loudly voiced protests) I called an ambulance for my partner.

They came promptly, and transferred him to hospital - where he remained for the next month.

I was grateful that they did their job promptly and efficiently.  However, it was an act of kindness by one of the paramedics which moved me to tears.

Himself was operated on that night.  A long operation (over five hours).  When I went to visit him the next morning he told me that one of the paramedics who brought him in the day before had looked in to see him in the early hours of the morning 'just to see how he was'.

I know that the paramedic's job took him to the hospital on a regular basis.  Just the same I thought (and still think) that it was an incredibly caring act to chase up where in the hospital he was and to come and see him.  I wrote to the Ambulance Service to thank them - and got a thank you letter from them.

What unexpected kind acts have you received which have warmed your heart?

Sunday Selections #502

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
  
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 
The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
I usually run with a theme. Sometimes I repeat those themes.  Again and again.

 

So, just for a change I am revisiting Floriade Reimagined (which finishes today) and our own garden.  Today I taking you back to the Erindale Centre's take on Floriade.  Flowers will take a back seat though.  Concurrent with the display of spring blooms they held a scarecrow festival.  The scarecrows were made by community groups, by schools, by individuals.  And there is ALWAYS room for quirky fun in my world.

 

I spotted some more beauty and fun on my walk down to the scarecrow festival as well.

 

 

The bear in this car was simply huge - and apologies for the reflections in the car window.

I love these magpies sitting on a log.  If I find out where they came from I will buy them for our garden.

 

Speaking of our garden, I have (of course) also included a few shots from home.

 

Have a safe, happy and wonderful week.  And all the weeks to come.